Magazine for magnetic wire recorders



June 3, 1952 Filed April 16, 1947 H. NYGAARD 2,598,716

MAGAZINE FOR MAGNETIC WIRE RECORDERS 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR HEW/VAN A/VGAWAD ATTORNEYS June 3, 1952 NYGAARD 2,598,716 I MAGAZINE FOR MAGNETIC WIRE RECORDERS Filed April 16, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HERMHN NVGHARD ATTORNEYS June 3, 1952 H. NYGAARD MAGAZINE FOR MAGNETIC WIRE RECORDERS Filed April 16, 1947 k\ MM Eww W m BY fina e/ W MuMfiW' ATTORN EY$ Patented June 3, 1952 MAGAZINE FOR MAGNETIC WIRE Rnoommns Herman Nygaard, Piiughkeepsie, N. Y., assignor to Daystrom Electric Cor oration,

keepsie, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 16, 1947, Serial No. 741,885

7 (flail 11S.

This invention relates to magnetic r corders, and particularly to recorders of the magazine type in which the wire" recording medium is wound upon spools disposed in asubstantially closed casing or magazine which is readily separable from the recorder unit. The recorder unit supports the magnetic head used for recording, play-back and erasing in position for association with the recording wire upon em= placement of the magazine on the recorder, and cohtains the necessary amplifying equipment and the mechanism which drives the spools.

Heretofore; the magazines proposed for such recorders have provided means therewithi-n for wholly or partially journaling the supply and take-up spools for rotation. Such a constructioi'i requires accurate machining and finishing in the manufacture of the magazines and increases their'cost of manufacture, Such prior art magazines have not contained within themselves the necessary level-winding means for assuring even laying of the wire on the spools, so that the magazines were not instantly interchangeable without regard to the proportion of the wire on the two spools of the magazine and the relation thereof to the-position of the levelwiridin'g mechanism on the'recorder, I

In accordance with the present invention, no exact positioning and supporting of thespools in the-magazine is required. The" magazine ac-' cordingly' can be produced by relatively inex' pensive production methods at minimized cost. The magazine of the present inventionincludes simple resilient means for holding the spoolsinapproximately correct position and for locking them against undesired rotation. It is arranged for the entry of positioning and drivi ing members from the recorder unit. These positioning and driving members c'ontroif thejro' tation of the spools and determine exactly their axes of rotation and their position along these axes, without dependence on accurately finished bearings forming part of the magazine, gagemen't of the magazine with the recorder unit automatically effeg-ats proper alignment recording wire with the magnetic head; It also engages acam provided the magazine for in sur'ing level winding of are wire on the spools with a drive therefor on the recorder" unit. The magazine is equipped with means drivenby this card insuring that the wire will be laid level layers on the spools, irrespective of the direction of the travel thereof from one spool to the other in theproces's of recording, play-hack, or" rewinding.

2 The magazine structure includes a guide" frame mounted on pivots within the magazine which is causedto oscillate about these pivots by the cam drive mentioned above. The guide frame in its oscillation lays the wire evenly on the spoolsand also controls its passage through guide pins in a fixed path for ready engagemerit with the magnetic head upon emplacementof the magazine on the recorder. The position of this path within the magazine is independent of the oscillation of the guide frame and of the quantity of wire wound on either of the spools; The position of this path with respect co the base'plate of the magazine is the same for all magazines so that all magazines are instantly interchangeable on the recorder, and proper engagement of the recording wire with the magnetic head is always efiected by themere emplacement of the magazine on the recorderw-ith0ut manipulation of the wire. guide frame affords resilient support which cushions the stresses which wouldnormally he" traris'm'itted' to the wire by sudden starting and stopping, or by reversing the direction of travel. The guide frame is mounted in the magazine on a simple three-point suspension, consisting oftwo pivots and a cam followerthrough which the earn controls the oscillation of the guide frame about the pivotal axis. Magazines or different capacities differ in their internal stri ic tu-re orily in the spoolthickness and in the size of the cam' required to lay the wire evenly on spools of di-fi'erent thicknesses.

The details of the presentinvention will now be further explained with reference to the ae-= compan'ying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the maga zine in operative position relative to the recordi ifn -z Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the top of the recorder unit,- the magazine being removed to aid illustrating the cooperative features of the recorder unit;

Fig. 3 is a front perspective view of the magazine with the cover displaced and with the movable parts thereof related as they are when the magazine" is locked in position on the recorder unit;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the elements of: the magazine taken from the rear with the cover; removed illustrating the guiding mechanism for layingthe wiresmoothly and evenly on the reels or spools during winding and unwinding; I

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the underside of the magazine;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 66 of Fig, 3 showing the details of the spool drive and part of the guide mechanism which lays the wire;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 'I-'I of Fig. 3 to show the spool locking means in released position and further details of the wire-laying mechanism:

Fig. 8 is a schematic view, partly in section, showing the spool-locking mechanism in locke ing position, the magazine being detached from the recorder; I

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view, taken as indicated by line 9-9 in Fig. 3, to show the cam drive for operating the wire-laying means; and

Fig. 10 is an end view of the Wire-laying arms of the guide frame taken along line ID -J of Fig. 3.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the recording and reproducing device I is a unit enclosure. The magazine 2 containing the para.- magnetic wire recording medium is adapted to be separably disposed on the unit I as shown. A push button 4 is provided to actuate a release mechanism Within the unit I when it is desired to remove the magazine 2. The fraction of the total-recording time or length of wire remaining on'the supply spool in the magazine is shown on an indicator 5. An on-ofi switch I is arranged to act also as a volume control, and is Placed in asymmetrical grouping with a four-position control knob 9, a screw-plug type microphone con-v nection I0, and a neon glow lamp indicator I I, which flashes whenever the amplitude of the sound received in the recorder is suificient for proper recording. The control knob 9 sets the equipment for recording in the first position, for play-backin the second position, to neutralv in the Changing of the magazine 2 is accomplished by. pressing the release button 4, which allows the magazine to be lifted offgthe unit I and another to'be put in its place. The unitary magnetic head I may then be seen as in Fig. 2, mounted in a protective head container I6, which is; secured to, and extends upwardly from, the

top chassis plate Il of therecorder unit. Pro-j vision is made in the recorder unit I for supporting and driving the magazine spools I4 and "I5 (seen in Fig. 3) b y means of two frusto-conical positioning members I9 and 20, which extend above top chassis plate I1 symmetrically with respect to head I5. Tapered studs 2| and 22 protrude axially from positioning members I9; and

20,.while a drive pin 24 extends upwardly near the circumference of each of these. Upon emplacement ofthe magazine on the recorderthe position of the spools relative to the recorder'is fixed; in height by the members I9 and 29, and in the location of their axes of rotationby the studs 21 and 22. The driving force-which rotates the spools is-transmitted through the-pins A castellated drive member 3I -also projects 4 above top plate I! rearwardly of head I5. It serves to drive the cam of the level-winding mechanism in the magazine, and is depressible against a springso as to insure accommodation of and engagement with a drive pin on the cam shaft, regardless of the angular relation of the latter to the drive member 3| when the magazine is first placed on the recorder unit. The drive pin on the end of the camshaft is shown at 35 in Fig. 5, recessed in base plate 36 of the magazine. Between head I5 and the castellated drive member 3I, a locking stud 32 rises through an elongated slot 34 in plate I'l. Locking stud 32 is controlled, through mechanism not seen in the figure, by the release button 4. When the magazine 2 is in place, the locking stud 32 is eng'aged within a slot in the magazine base plate so as to maintain it in the proper position. This slot is shown at 3! in Fig. 5. It has a wide portion 39 through which locking stud 32 may pass upon emplacement of the magazine, when the release button 4 is pressed in. A spool lock releasing pin 95 protrudes upwardly from top chassis plate I'I-between head .I5- and locking stud 32. Pin 95, when the magazine is emplaced on the recorder unit, extends up through a bore .94 in magazine base plate 36 and into the magazine where it unlocks the spools so that they may ro-.

in which the guide frame is pivoted, and by a' boss 21 directly behind drive member 3 I As seen in Fig. 5, the base plate 3-6 of the magazme is provided with two symmetrically disposed apertures 4| and 42 through which the frustoconical positioning members I9 and 20 may enter to engage the corresponding frusto-conical recesses 44 and 45in Sp00ls I4 and 15; The spool recesses are also provided with central bores 46 and 41* to receive-studs 2I and 22, and have a plurality of circumferentially disposed drive bores 49 to receive drive pins 24. 'The base plate.includes a recess I05 for the drive pin 35, the lockin -slot 31, indexing holes I8, and a head-receivingaperture 5| through which the magnetic head I5 protrudes into the magazinefor engagement with the. recording wire. On either side of the spool loc k-releasing pin bore 94 and in line therewith, apertures 93 cut through the base plate 36 accommodate a spool locking spring member 92 below the lowersurfaces of the spools, as will be explained below. I

. i In Fig. 3 the magazine is shown from the front with its cover 55 displaced upwardly to expose the mechanism mounted upon the base plate 36. The corresponding view from the rear of the mag-v azine structure is shown in Fig. 4. The cover 55 is normally held inposition by ascrew 56 which engages'a threaded bore 51 in a cam housing plate 68 which is fixed relative to the base plate. The cover and base plate together constitute a casin for the magazine. 7 I v I 4 Spools I4; and I5 are loosely mounted within circulau-spool'races 16 cut into base. plate 36. They are resiliently retained in these races by down the axial length of the spools.

spring armsll secured to the cam housing plate 68'. The play allowed thespoolswithin the. magazine between the spring arms l1 and the coverii is. never e'nough,.ho.wever, to allow the spoolsto fall out. ofztheir races.

-.Brackets. 59 audio. are formed at :the front ofeither end of base plate 3.8 in. alignment with the head receiving aperture iii. The brackets 59 and 6llreceive pivot members lil and 62, respectively, whichcarry a W-shaped guide frame generally indicated at 64. The centralgulde Irame leg 65 carries a. cam follower, described in detail below, which cooperates with a screw-type cam 66. Cam 66 has a right and left-handed thread closed upon itself and is journaled at its; lower end-"in the base plate- 36, while its upper end is journaled in th'e'cam housing plate 68. Wire uide arms or shoes 69 and 10, which have deeply grooved pulleys H and 12 mounted therein; are

formed on and constitute theouter legs of the W-shaped guide frame 64, which is. made sufliciently resilient at the junction between the diagonal portions 63 and thebase-portions 61 thereof to prevent sudden stresses from breaking the recording; wire 33.. This resiliency permits therear ends of the guideshoes- 69 and away from the pivots 6| and 62-, to bend toward each other and to relieve the stress on the wire. Duringoperation of the equipment, cam 66 is rotated bydrive member 3| in the recorder unit and the guide-frame 64 oscillates up and down to carry the rear ends of the guide shoes 89' and 10 up and The speed of drive member 3| is so related to that-of members 1'9 and 2-0 carrying drive pins 21 that the spools make alarge number of revolutionsdurin the time of one complete oscillation.

Theparamagnetic recording wire 33' is threaded" from spool 14 at the rear of the magazine around rear'pullcylz and front pulley I I'inguide shoe 68, between outer and inner guide pins 19 and; 80* disposed at both ends of aperture 5!, around front pulley I I and rear pulley- T2- inguide shoe-10', and back to spool The guide shoes 69- and I'D and the pulleys H and 12- are deeply rooved so thatv thewire 33: will not become disengaged therefrom. I

InFig. 6 L haveillustrated the magazine ina schematic sectional view to show the relation of thespool's 14 and 15" to the positioning members l9 and which extend into engagement therewith from the recorder unit. I. Frusto-conical recesses 44" and 45 are shown receiving-the positioning-members i9 and 20. Eachof thesemembers. has a driving pin 24 extending resiliently therefrom underthe influence-of a spring 85, forengagement with one of: the drive bores lil formed' in. the spools. in a circle within the recesses: 44% and 4:5. It will be seen that thecooperation of the frustorconical surfaces. and the engagement of; the; studs: 21: and 22 within: the bores 46 and 43 will operate to position the spools 14: and 1-5 exactl-y: during: rotationwithout requiring the use of carefully machined: or= accurately.- positioned journal members within the magazine. 2=..' I'hev spoolslare lifted slightly within their races'lfi by members: to and 20 so thatzthey'havesnocontact. with. the magazine; casing during rotation. W'eau within the. magazine. is thus: of littleimportance, the spools having always the; same locatiorrwithz. reference to. the magnetic head regardlessof the magazine.

Spring arms 11' maybe provided with mentarily the rear pulleys 12 over which the wire- 33: is compelled to travel as it is directed onto or carried away trom the spools. The wire guideshoes. (it and 10 are. shownin fragmentaryseiz tion; as isthecentral guide frame legii.

V In Fig. 7. is. illustrated. a section taken; along, the line 1-4: of Fig. 3, partially broken away'to show the locking mechanism which. retains the spools in a fixed. position when the-magazine is not engaged :with the recorder; but which releases them. as soon as such engagement is. complete- The under. sides. of spools: 14 andli have: aplurality of recesses: 90: formed therein in: a circle; outside ofxfrusto-conical recesses and.

, The base plate 36 of the magazine. is pro vided with two: spring holders 81' bridging the: apertures 93: close. to. their inner-ends. The-ap'er tures 93 extend lengthwise of: base plate 36 to points. underlying the: spools 154. and: 15 directly beneath the circumference of the circle-of. re cesses A spring, locking member 92, accommodated. in: the. apertures 93; passes" under the: spring holders 9i: andcver the bore. 94. A- spool. lock releasing pin. 85, fixed in. the. top: chassis plate I? of the recorder, extends; up through; the. bore: 94 when. the magazine: is locked placeon the recorder. PinSSis shown inFig; 7 engaging: the central: portion. of the spring member" 92.. The; spring holders 9 I. act. as. fulcra .for: the. two halves: of the spring member'92, sosthat-when. pirr. 95vbears upwardly against the central portion. offspring 9-2. as. the magazine; locked placeon the recorder, the outer spring ends are. forced. downward. and-out of engagement with the re! cesses 90 in the spools. When the magazine is;

removed from the recorder. .unit,. withdr'awaE of pin. 95- permits the central. portionof the spring 92: to return to. its. normal; straight position, as. indicated in Fig. 8; The. outer end-szthemspring: upwardly. into.- locking engagement with the rel-- cesses 9.0.1. This automatic. operation insures. that the wire on the spools will not be permitted to. unwind: or over-run. when the magazine removed from the. recorder; unit. The 1 engagement" of the. ends: of spring 82' with the recesses: 90'.- will. not: cause the. spoolszto become uizlseated;fromv their races: because: of. the: superior pressure exerted through. bosses: 86' by the. spring. arms; 11;. which hold. the spools; against-the: bottom on the: races; 1. 6 as: shown. in Fig; 8;. exceptduring opera, tivea engagement with the; recorder The. details: of; the cooperative; relatiom be tween thev cam followenlfllil: and cam. 66 which acts: to oscillate the. W -shapedi framev 64 are shown in 9. Pivots- Bt. and 62 areearrangedi' to,- support the w-shaped frame: member 64:2 and to permit. oscillation; thereof: about the:- common: axis: of; pivots 6t and 62.. which is: substantially" coincident. with the path. tobe: followed by wire. 33 between the two pulleys; Ll. through; the:

' space in which it. engages; the. magnetic: head.

hardened: steel bosses 86. toa keep the. spools in.

proper position hybearing against. the-flatccentrar core-surface Bflvof: the spools. Fig; 6 shows pag Asseen. in Fig; 10., front. pulleys- 11 are soaposi-- tioned in theshoes 691and:l'ethatsthewireaswiili be coincident. with the axis: ofi'pivots. 61. andliz; in passing between pu1leys:ll Thiszinsures that; regardless. of; the. position: of. the. frame: 64",. the wire will. occupy the same: position with respect to. the; base plate 36;. and? hence willmaintainxa constant: relationato" the: magnetic: head: elements;

Within; the. central: leg: 6.5.0f. the W' -shaped frame; 64;. asseen in: Fig; 9-,. abore. mm is to; receive a spring; ml. and a; cam. follower I'M: on. which. is; formed: a. cam-engaging shoes MM Shoe- ILM is? held in: contactiwiththe: cam: 862' at:

allxtimes by the; springi'mli' to. insure that the:

1 1; A separable cam follower will track with the double threaded cam, in whichever direction the cam is rotated by the driving mechanism. Beneath cam' 66, ;the base plate '36 is recessed at I to providefor the engagement of the cam drivingpin 35 with. the castellated driving head3l. dicates-the relation-of therecording head unit 1 l5and its container l6 to the magazine;

-In manufacturing magazines in accordancewith the invention, three magazine sizes or capacities have been found to be desirable; one for Fig. 9 also inrecording approximatelyfifteen minutes, one for approximate'lythirty. minutes and one for'approximately an hour.

These sizes differ in interior construction only in having spools of vary ing axiallength and in the provision of cam ,member 66 of dimensions suitable to wind the wiresmoothly onto spoolsof such. different axial lengths. Externally the magazines differ only in thickness; .Thisi simplifies the storage and han-V ,dling. of the magazines, and combines with the otherimprovements described above to produce a jmore useful recorder. elude, in summary, the elimination from the These improvements inmagaz'ine of shafts or bearings for the support of the spools, and the provision of a simple structure which insures'the even winding of the wire on .the spools while at the same time passing the equivalent means and arrangements of the elements as may be found desirable are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.

Iclaim: a

recording wire magazine for use lwithman electromagnetic recording and reproducing apparatus providing spool-positioninganddriving means, said magazine comprising a casing, a pair of spools in relatively unfixed relation arranged within said casing, spring means engaging said spools against rotation thereof when said .magazine is separated from said apparatus, recesses formed within said spools adapted to receive said spool-positioning and drivingemeans whereby said spools maybe exactly positioned within said magazine for rota ,tion therein, a paramagnetic wire recording }medium extending between said spools and adapted tobezwound thereon, a resilient wshaped wire-guide frame pivotally mounted in said magazine about an axis perpendicular to 1 the axes of said spools, a cam follower aflixed to thecentral limb. of said frame, a'rotatable cam arranged on said casing, said cam follower being adapted to'engagesaid cam and to effect oscillation of said frame upon rotation of said cam, and wire guiding, means on said frame 1 carrying said wire from one of said spools around both of said spools andback to the second of said spools along a path in part coincidentwith j the pivotal. mounting axes of said guide frame.

2..In a magnetic recorder having a magnetic head and spool-positioning and driving means extending therefrom, a separable magazine j adapted to'be interchangeably associatedwith said recorder, said magazine comprising a casing,

two spools in relatively unfixed relation ar- 8. ranged within said casing and approximately positioned for rotation, a paramagnetic wire wound on and extending between said spools, a head-receiving aperture formed in said magazine to permit ready engagement of said head with said wire within said casing upon the passage of said wire between said spools, apertures formed in said magazine adapted to receive said spool-positioning and driving means whereby said spools may be-. exactly positioned for and during rotation, guide means comprising a cam rotatably mounted in said casing and a resilient W-shaped frame governed in motion by said cam for laying said wire evenly on said spools during rotation thereof, means for passing said wire upon its passage between said spools in a fixed preferred path relative to said headreceiving aperture independently of the position of said guide means, including pivotal supports for said W-shaped frame mounted on said casing with their pivotal axes substantially coincident with said fixed preferred path, and wire-supporting means spaced in said guide means to deliver said wire substantially coincident with the axes of said pivotal supports. I

3. In a magazine containing a paramagnetic wire recording medium for exposure to magnetic recording, play-back, and erasing elements in an associated magnetic recorder bypassage from one to the other of two spools in said magazine, means to insure the level winding of said wire on said spools and to carry said wire along a path fixed with reference to said magazine and right-handed thread closed, upon itself mounted in said magazine for engagement with said cam follower so as :to cause said frame tooscillate, and guide shoes formed upon said frame and guiding said wire from one of saidspools around said' first spool, along a'path coincident with said pivotalaxis, around the second of said spools andback onto the second of said spools. 7 I

4. A magazine for a magnetic recorder including a casing, supply and take-up spools disposed in saidvcasing for rotation about axes which are parallel but undefined by the structure of said magazine, a paramagnetic wire wound on and extending between said spools,

guide meansarranged to direct said wire from one of said spools to, the other of said spools, said guide means comprising a resilient W- shaped frame pivotally mounted in said maga-- zine about an axis normal to the axes of rotation of said spools and. passing through the base of the W, guide pulleys disposed in said frame over which said wire may be trained for passage from one to the other of said spools through a path substantially coincident with the pivotal axis of said frame, and means for rocking said frame about the pivotal axis .for laying said wire evenlyon said spools. :5. Ina magazine for a wire recording medium including .a casingv and two sideeby-side disposed reels for the. support of the wire, means to guide the wire'inits passage from one reel to the other along a path fixed with reference to the casing and to produce a level winding of the wire on the reels, said means comprising a resilient W-shaped guide frame having two lateral limbs and a central limb, said guide frame being pivotally mounted in the casing for oscillation about an axis substantially coincident with the base of the w, guide means arranged at the four external corners of the frame for the guidance of the wire from one reel onto the frame at the end of one outer leg thereof, over a path substantially coincident with the said axis, out to the end of the other outer leg of the frame and onto the other reel, a cam follower arranged on the central limb of the frame, and a cam rotatably mounted in the casing for engagement with the cam follower.

6. In a magazine for a wire recording medium including a casing and two side-by-side disposed reels for the support of the wire, a level winding guide frame adapted to wind the wire in level layers on the reels and to lead the wire in its passage from one reel to the other through a path fixed with reference to the casing, said frame comprising a resilient W- shaped member having pivots arranged at the base of the W for cooperation with pivot bearings aifixed to the casing, guide pulleys disposed at the four corners of the W-shaped member, and a cam follower arranged on the central leg of the W-shaped member for cooperation with a cam mounted in the casing, the base of 10 the W-shaped member having substantial resilience under stresses imposed by the wire.

7. In a magazine for a wire recording medium including a casing and two side-by-side disposed reels for the support of the wire, a guide frame pivotally mounted in the casing for oscillation about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the reels and adapted to lay the wire on the reels in level layers, said guide frame comprising two lateral limbs and a central limb, wire guiding means arranged at each end of each of the lateral limbs, a cam follower arranged on the central limb, a resilient base connecting the limbs together along one end of each thereof, and pivots at each end of said base substantially aligned with said base.

HERMAN NYGAARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,665,784 Hornauer Apr. 10, 1928 1,826,758 Field Oct. 13, 1931 1,834,749 Traxel Dec. 1, 1931 1,871,233 Proctor Aug. 9, 1932 2,401,632 Greenleaf June 4, 1946 2,409,942 Knapp Oct. 22, 1946 2,468,198 Heller Apr. 26, 1949 2,490,053 Harm Dec. 6, 1949 

